BOONE, N.C. — Rushing floodwaters were seen in downtown Boone Friday morning as Tropical Storm Helene brought torrential rain to the North Carolina mountains.
Several inches of water were seen rushing down King Street near the Mast General Store and Depot Street in the heart of downtown Boone. The water was seen running into several storefronts on King Street. A Resort Cams camera showed several vehicles passing through and around the floodwaters which are several inches deep.
WCNC Charlotte Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich said he'd never seen this much water flooding downtown Boone.
"Look at the flow," Panovich said. "There are rapids, this is flowing."
Weather Impact forecaster Larry Sprinkle said it was the most water he'd seen in Boone during his career.
Helene's impacts have been felt across the Carolinas with millions of power outages and widespread flooding. Multiple flash flood emergencies were reported in the mountains, and a mandatory evacuation was ordered for residents near Mountain Island Lake in Mecklenburg County due to rising waters.
Over 1.25 million Duke Energy customers lost power early Friday. Panovich confirmed that South Carolina's power outages were the most in the country as the center of Helene reached the Upstate, pushing through areas near Clemson and Greenville.
A Tornado Watch is in place through 6 p.m. for portions of the Charlotte area. This includes Chesterfield, Lancaster, Chester, Anson, Cabarrus, Gaston, Union (NC), Richmond and Mecklenburg counties.